This is in response to the distortions about President Obama's jobs bill as portrayed in the Independent's Mailbag from a couple in Sunset Beach ("Obama's jobs bill needs support," Oct. 20). I'm sure the couple had good intentions, but they need to do their homework.

While President Obama is pardoning two turkeys for Thanksgiving, every one of us has that same presidential power by choosing a nonviolent Thanksgiving observance that spares a turkey's life.
And here are some good reasons:
•You are what you eat....

I believe that education should be a top priority. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Sacramento. Once again in 2012, the governor's budget proposes cutting education so that more money can go into social service programs.
This year, like years...

An initiative to eliminate a Huntington Beach property tax that pays for public safety employees' pensions has qualified for the November ballot.
The City Council voted Monday to adopt a resolution to place the measure on the ballot, and three council...

As the only independent on the Ocean View School District Board of Trustees, I am frequently asked why I vote no. I am writing to explain recent events from my perspective.
I voted no on classroom size increase. Ocean View district administration has...

Huntington Beach administrators are negotiating with two employee groups in hopes of bypassing four salary increases scheduled to take effect between now and January.
The city's firefighters were scheduled to get a 2% salary increase last year, but due to budget shortfalls, the association agreed to postpone the increase until September, which helped the city to balance its 2010-11 budget, said City Manager Fred Wilson. But there's another 2.5% increase scheduled to take effect in the middle of this...

Editor's note: This changes the third paragraph to include Patrick Tucker's title.
Ten candidates for the Fountain Valley City Council are going into the last three weeks of campaigning.
Candidates are vying for three opens seats occupied by Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Brothers and Councilmen Guy Carrozzo and John Collins, each of whom are running for reelection.
The candidates range from a tire stores manager, teachers, a small business owner and an insurance broker, to two unemployed folks, one working...

The Ocean View School District has approved furlough days and other reductions to help make a $10-million cut needed for next year, but officials are unsure where $4.5 million of it will come from.
The district's board of trustees, which oversees two preschools, 11 elementary and four middle schools, approved its 2010-11 budget June 15 with $5.5 million in set reductions and another $4.5 million cut without
specification of what will get the ax.
Eight furlough days were approved, classified staff'...

Boeing Co. plans to lay off 561 employees in Southern California this month and early next year, according to documents the company filed in Sacramento.
The layoffs include 253 people at its Long Beach facilities, 154 in Huntington Beach and another 154 employees in El Segundo.
The company has previously announced it is closing its factory in Long Beach where it builds the C-17 cargo plane for the Air Force.
It was not clear how many of the latest employee cuts were related to the ongoing...

Coast Community College District instructors won't have to take furloughs like other district employees, the Board of Trustees said this week.
"We were able to commit to no layoffs for any employees next year," said Trustee Jerry Patterson. "That's great, that's good news."
The board asked all employees in April to help combat a $3-million budget shortfall for 2012-13 by taking a 3% cut in compensation or unpaid furloughs to help save an estimated 30 to 40 classified positions.
The board also voted...

The Coast Community College District this week will consider laying off dozens of full-time employees as it pulls back from running a career center in Irvine.
Some of those termination notices will probably be rescinded by May while others remain in force.
Thirty-two full-time "classified" staffers from the clerical and related ranks could receive pink slips if the Board of Trustees approves the move Wednesday night.
Those targeted for reductions include clerks, administrative assistants and...

COSTA MESA — Not long after Costa Mesa began issuing layoff notices Thursday afternoon, a 29-year-old city maintenance worker in line to lose his job jumped to his death from the roof of City Hall, police said.
Huy Pham, of Fountain Valley, hadn't yet received a layoff notice but was on the city's list to get one, police said. Pham had worked for the city for about four years, those who knew him said.
City officials distributed more than 200 layoff notices Thursday as part of a restructuring...